


Strange Impressions

by LadyTauriel



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 08:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2222097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyTauriel/pseuds/LadyTauriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's final exam time. Jim, like other Cadets, is very busy trying to find material to study. Suddenly, he notices the necessary material in someone's hands. The next day, after meeting the incredibly amazing Spock, Jim constantly has an impression that he's already seen him and visited his flat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strange Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on and follows the plot of the Russian, Soviet short film "Strange Impressions", from the full film ["Operation 'Y' & Other Adventures of Shurik"](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059550/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt). I could just see this happening to Jim and Spock. This is unbeta-ed. I don't have a beta at the moment, so if you're interested in beta-ing for me for the fandoms, for which I write, please let me know.

It is second semester exit exam week at Starfleet Academy, and the intensity radiating from every single student is tangible. Those who have regularly attended class carry their meticulous, detailed notes everywhere they go on campus. Those who have not walk around with their more studious friends, clinging to their shoulders, causing large, mobile study groups form. Those who do not have a physical space saved in such a study group swing off of trees, skimming the notebook of the person underneath with binoculars. Those who do not have a physical space left for them on trees grip their hair in panic, skimming their textbooks to no avail. Such an individual is third year James T. Kirk, who has just now grasped the importance of attending class and studying individually. 

He runs around campus in search for his roommate Leonard "Bones" McCoy, before realising that their tracks and exam topics do not coincide in the least. He searches for the intelligent Nyota Uhura. When she is nowhere to be found, he looks instead for her Orion roommate, Gaila. After a morning of useless searching, however, he realised that he is utterly and truly fucked. 

It is his third hour at trying and failing to develop a photographic memory to memorise the quantum physics textbook. It is a third hour wasted. Realising that the endeavour is impossible, Kirk makes his way to the city bus station, preparing to return to his private flat. 

It is to his luck, while he stands in the crowded aisles, that he notices a notebook in the hands of an individual a few feet in front of him. It contains sketches that Kirk recognises, compelling him to approach immediately. He reads over the man's shoulder, realising that the notebook contains extremely detailed notes on quantum physics. He continues reading, only allowing himself a single microsecond of gratefulness, before focusing in on the material once again. 

Spock rereads his notes, memorising the information, which he has not previously organised in his mind. He takes the much needed opportunity to classify the knowledge in order of importance. The exam will be limited on time, and it is vital that the correct facts are within his immediate reach. 

"Come, Nyota," Spock says, when the chauffeur names his destination. Kirk does not notice that Nyota is the individual, who has fallen asleep next to Spock. It does not occur to Kirk that the man will likely mind his presence. The only thing that matters to Kirk at the moment is the notes in front of him. 

The two individuals walk down the street, completely disregarding their surroundings. Spock is aware of the muscle memory of his legs, leading him to his flat, while Kirk is completely unaware of the world around him. He is unaware of the destination of the owner of the notes, but he does not have the time to ask himself or the man that question. 

As they enter the building of Spock's flat, they pass a vicious bulldog, which barks at them at the top of its lungs, daring them to approach. But dare they do, as a dog's bark is nowhere near as important as studying the notes in front of them. The bulldog backs off, completely confused by their lack of reaction. 

Kirk and Spock enter the latter's one-roomed flat, which feels like it’s boiling from the lack of an active air conditioner. Kirk feels the hot air on his skin but does not comment, as that would mean losing focus from the equation that he is currently memorising using the method of loci. Spock does not cool the room, as the temperature is still not as severe as it is on Vulcan, so it does not affect him. 

Spock requires nourishment, so he retrieves vegetables from the fridge with one hand, keeping his notebook in the other. Kirk follows, never leaving his side, as he is even more consumed by the notes than Spock. The latter sets the vegetables at the kitchen table, sitting behind it and continuing in his reading. 

The problem that arises for Kirk, is when the man reads too fast. He holds the page up after Spock flips it, attempting to read a little faster, but Spock bats his hands away in an attempt to get a clear view of the next page. Kirk retrieves his PADD, taking a photograph of every page he doesn't have the time to finish reading. 

Spock bites from a cucumber, setting it back down on his plate. Hearing crunching noises makes Kirk hungry, so he fishes around for a plate in front of him, landing his hand on the same cucumber. He brings it to his lips, consuming it in seconds and not minding that it is already bitten. After detecting the lack of a cucumber, Spock picks up a tomato, which he eats without returning it onto the plate. Kirk picks up some lettuce, on which he chews absently, before placing down. The next time he reaches for the plate, it is empty. He would be dismayed, as his hunger is not yet soothed, but the pages in front of him demand one hundred percent of his conscious attention. 

"Computer, lower temperatures by five percent," the man commands. Immediately, a slight whirring sound takes over the room, causing Kirk to feel a relieving coolness. It allows him to focus his subconsciousness at the task at hand, as well. 

"I require a change of clothing," Spock says. "Unzip the blazer of the uniform." 

Kirk complies, despite barely registering the words. He is reading over the man's shoulder the whole time. After he’s done, he takes the notebook out of his hands and turns himself, for the man to repeat the procedure. After his own blazer is unzipped, he places the notebook on the table. The both of them proceed to remove their clothing, never taking their eyes off of the lecture notes. 

With their uniforms removed, Kirk and Spock remain in their black t-shirt and boxer briefs. Spock quickly adorns the robe that hangs on the chair within his reach, while Kirk remains in his serious state of undress. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, he is not currently being watched by the man, as both of their eyes do not dare leave the pages. 

They continue to read for some time, with no more words passed between them. Kirk registers that the evening has approached, when Spock orders the lights to brighten. However, he has not thought - as much as he can think about anything besides quantum physics at the moment - of leaving the premises, until he has completely grasped the notes before him. 

"It is now twenty two thirty," the man says, flipping a page. "You must return to your quarters, Nyota. As this is the last page, you may photograph it on your PADD and contain the last of the information safely." 

Kirk does just that, not bothering to mention that he isn't Nyota. His attention immediately transfers to his PADD, and he continues to focus on the notes, as he leaves the flat. After he has read them, he returns to reread the parts he had missed. He continues to his flat in this manner, never straying his attention from the information before him, until he settles into a contemplative yet restful sleep. 

~ 

Jim walked along with a slight skip in his step, whistling while simultaneously licking at his ice cream cone. It was a beautiful day. Birds were chirping; squirrels were chattering; and Jim felt like fucking Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella. 

"Isn't it a beautiful day, Bones?" he asked, knowing perfectly well that he was wearing his shit-eating grin. "I mean, look. The sun is out." 

"Wipe that fucking smirk off your face, Jim," his friend muttered. "I've had enough of your bragging for a lifetime. I'm sorry that not everyone can be as genius as you to memorise everything you missed by ditching lectures in the timespan of ten hours, from some stranger's notes. By the way, the sun is always out." 

"It's okay, grumpy pants," Jim said, patting Bones' arm in mock comfort. "Even if you completely failed, I'll still love you." 

"This actually isn't funny for me, Jim!" Bones exclaimed. "I don't think I _completely_ failed, but I don't think I nailed it, either.” 

"I'm sure they'll still find a place to put you aboard the _Enterprise_ ," Jim said, probably just making his friend freak out more. 

"God, you're just like Spock," Bones growled. "All proud and self-satisfied and bitchy and pompous." 

"Who's Spock?" Jim asked, his curiosity piqued up at the unique name. 

"You seriously don't know who Spock is?" Bones asked, looking genuinely surprised. "He's the only half-Vulcan in the Federation, and the only Vulcan at the Academy. He's finishing his third year, and he's graduating, like you. You haven't run into him?" 

"No," Jim said honestly. "Our periods mustn't have coincided. He sounds like an interesting guy, though. You know him?" 

"Well, I've met him a few times through Gaila, who, as you know, knows everyone," Bones told him. "Speaking of Gaila, I'm gonna go meet up with her. She's almost done with her exams. Actually, Spock's testing right now, too. Wanna come and meet him, then?" 

"Sure, why not?" Jim asked with a nonchalant shrug. Truthfully, he was rather excited to meet this Vulcan dude, who seemed to be just as intellectually capable (or maybe even more, but it hurt Jim's pride to admit it) as him. 

As Jim and Bones approached the testing hall, Gaila slipped out quickly, running towards them and catapulting into Bones' arms, hitching her legs around his waist in the most immodest of ways. Bones kissed her smile before setting her down gently. 

"I'm just so excited, because I think I did really well," she said energetically. "I'm the first person out. Spock's gonna be done soon, too. How did your exams go?" 

"Jim's been bragging for two hours now about how he knew absolutely everything," Bones complained, rolling his eyes. Jim just punched him in the shoulder, medium-strength. 

"Jimmy, you're here to meet Spock, aren't you?" Gaila asked with a knowing look. 

"How on fucking Earth do you know that?" Jim exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in dramatic surrender. "I'm sorry, but I seem to be the only one around here, who doesn't read minds!" 

"I can just smell it," she said, leaning in dangerously close. "I can smell the anticipation in your blood." 

"Bullshit," Jim muttered, but Gaila was right. He was anticipating like hell right now. And finally, after Jim waited for two minutes too long and nibbled nervously on his waffle cone, Spock granted them with his appearance. 

Jim's throat, heart, and brain froze, as soon as he saw him. Spock walked down the steps that led towards them, and it might as well have been a catwalk on the red carpet. His adorable bowl cut hair was utterly perfect, combed so neatly that Jim's fingers itched to run through it. His serious, uplifted eyebrows brought character to his otherwise stoic face. His posture was impeccable, as if he had been tied to a ruler all his life, which just made Jim laugh at the thought. He was tall, taller than Jim, and his cadet uniform hugged his lithe body in all the right places. Jim knew that he could respect anyone, who made the Academy uniform look that hot. 

Jim dropped his ice cream, not being able to hold on. 

"Gaila, Leonard," Spock said in his deep, sexy baritone, nodding at them in greeting. He turned to Jim with a raised eyebrow, which just made the latter’s heart beat even faster than it already was. It felt like an oncoming heart attack by this point. Spock glanced knowingly at the fallen ice cream before looking back up at Jim, his eyes trailing up his body in the process. It made Jim’s mouth go completely dry. 

"You appeared to have dropped your... Terran delicacy," Spock commented, settling on the most complicated way of saying ice cream. 

"Yeah, you don't have to pick it up," Jim tried joking, almost cringing at how much of a lame dick he sounded like right now. 

"Yeah, okay," Bones cut in, quite obviously smirking at the two of them. "Spock, James T. Kirk. Jim, Spock. Gaila and I are gonna go, so you two have fun staring meaningfully at each other." 

With that, he quickly pranced away, Gaila in tow. Jim's eyes followed them, partially out of his need to kick Bones' balls in, and partially out of his fear of looking Spock in the eye, after what was just said. 

"I am amenable to purchasing a new one," Spock suggested eventually. 

"A new what now?" Jim asked, looking back at Spock and trying not to get lost in his eyes. 

"A new Terran delicacy," Spock explained. 

"Oh no, that's fine," Jim muttered. "I don't want another. I do need to pick this one up and throw it in the trash, though, which I really don't want to do right now." 

"Allow me to-" Spock began, but Jim cut him off by waving his hands too close to his face. 

"Oh no, Spock, don't even fucking think about picking that up right now, like some kind of environmentalist martyr or something," he began. "I actually happen to know that Vulcans are spick-speck clean, so you're _really_ not going to enjoy this. I've got this under control." 

"If you had allowed me complete my sentence, you would have known that I do not intend to pick it up," Spock told him. "I simply wish to call a janitor." 

Jim watched, both completely stunned and embarrassed, as Spock pressed a button on his PADD, summoning a cleaning robot to their location. 

"We are now able to continue walking to our destination," Spock told him. 

"Um. What's our destination?" 

Spock appeared to hesitate, before responding, "Our destination has not yet been set. Have you taken your exams today?" 

"Yeah, we had an earlier time than yours," Jim responded. 

"Then I am correct in assuming that you are available for the duration of the day?" Spock asked, and Jim's heart started racing again. Was this the Vulcan version of asking him out? 

"Indeed I am," he said with a smile, rocking back on his heels. 

"In that case, would you be amenable to accompany me to my flat for midday nourishment, or for a discussion of your choice?" Spock asked. His voice remained impassive, but the way Spock moved his hands to clasp them behind his back hinted at slight anxiousness. 

"Spock, I'd love to," Jim said with a genuine smile. 

As they walked and rode the bus to Spock's flat, Jim told him all about his plan to finish the Academy in three years instead of four, simply out of spite for Pike, who had been quite annoying in his persistence to get Jim to join. Spock, in turn, told him of the different life on Vulcan, and the way he turned down the Vulcan Science Academy for Starfleet, due to the racism towards him and his mother. Even after they both skimmed over the lighter details of their past, the conversation didn't stop there. Their interests coincided in linguistics, physics, and command. Spock also applied for a position aboard the _Enterprise_ , and Jim wished with all his heart that they could be accepted together. 

When they arrived at the building to Spock's flat, a chained bulldog suddenly ran out of the entrance, barking at them hysterically. As much as Jim liked dogs, the utter hatred in its eyes made him wary. 

"Buffy is the watchdog of the landlady of this building," Spock explained. "He is extremely protective of the territory." 

"Yeah, I can see that," Jim muttered. "How do you get through?" 

"Because the entirety of her tenants are attendees of the Starfleet Academy, Buffy's owner does not expect them to be back before mid-afternoon," Spock exclaimed. "He remains on watch, when she is not in her home. I admit that I was unaware of the particular level of protectiveness of this canine. I am currently without a solution." 

"Well, we could get vet-approved sleeping pills, stick 'em in some meat, and get Buffy to eat it," Jim suggested. "And don't tell me that that is completely stupid, because, as you said, you have yet to come up with a plan." 

"Your plan is satisfactory," Spock assured him. "However, I am not unaware of the location of the closest hospital or veterinary clinic." 

"Oh, you won't need that," Jim responded, taking out the pills from his book bag. "I have some with me." 

"You have sleeping difficulties?" Spock asked seriously, turning to Jim with something akin to worry. 

"Yeah, most days," Jim confessed awkwardly. "Bones keeps trying to get me to switch to hyposprays and hypo solutions, but I hate hypos, though. I just use the old pill method. It works for me on the rough nights nights I can't sleep." 

"Very well," Spock responded, still appearing reluctant. "I do not believe that the canine will be easily convinced to consume the medicine." 

"That's the thing," Jim said excitedly, pulling out his sandwich out of his bag. "I have some meat in this. We can put the pills inside and offer it to him." 

"It is worth an attempt," Spock confessed, watching curiously as Jim pressed the pills into a slice of baloney from his sandwich. 

"Buffy!" Jim called in a cooing voice, approaching the bulldog, who continued to stand in front of the walkway, on guard. "Buffy, good boy. _Good_ boy. Want some meat? You want if? Here, boy!" 

Jim tossed it at Buffy, who had passed up barking to sniff at the meat curiously. As soon as Jim tried to step around him, however, he let out several loud barks, getting back up off of his haunches. Jim jumped back, cursing. Leave it to him to be afraid of a dog, seriously. He was sure he had been able to pass by bulldogs without losing his nerve before this. But still, he didn't want to get bitten. Buffy looked like he meant business. 

"I guess we'll have to wait, until he falls asleep," Jim muttered to Spock, embarrassed. Spock probably thought what a coward Jim was right now. 

Buffy lapped up the meat completely, and Jim was about to give Spock high fives of joy. However, the wry expression of Spock's face made him look back at Buffy. To Jim's astonishment, the dog had left the several sleeping pills on the ground in front of him. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jim exclaimed to himself in frustration. 

"It appears that Buffy has seen through our ploys," Spock said calmly. Jim whirled to bite something back, but the self-satisfied expression on the Vulcan's face made him burst into a fit of laughter. 

"Oh, Spock," he said, after most of the chuckling died away. "Any more ideas?" 

"I assume that it is possible to gather our courage and simply walk past Buffy," Spock offered. "He will be able to sense that barking does not lead us into fear." 

"Spock, I can't," Jim tried, trying to out his fears into words. "I mean, maybe if it were a life and death situation, I would be able to launch myself at a bulldog to protect you, or someone else, but I can't just do it in a random setting." 

At that moment, Jim spotted a cat trotting lightly down the pathway leading from the flats, towards them. It padded silently, not enough for Buffy to notice it immediately. Soon, however, he turned around. Both animals froze, sizing each other up. Jim grabbed Spock's arms violently, feeling that their chance would appear at any moment. 

After a few seconds of waiting, Buffy began growling and barking madly. The cat almost flipped out completely, running past Jim and Spock with the speed of a lightning bolt. Buffy, despite being on a leash, charged after it desperately, completely ignoring the two men. Jim pulled Spock by the sleeve, but the Vulcan was already ahead of him. Together, they raced past. Jim followed Spock, dashing into the flat as soon the door was open. It swished closed behind him, and he collapsed against it in relieved laughter. Looking at Spock, he could only scoff. The Vulcan was as composed as he was before breaking out into a run, with barely a hair out of place. 

"You're not tired at all, are you?" he asked him in amusement. 

"We have not run a particularly long distance," Spock pointed out. "In addition, Vulcans possess three times the strength and stamina of humans." 

Only Spock could make 'stamina' sound like the absolutely most obscene word in the world. Jim blushed, knowing that he could blame it on the heat and exertion. 

Speaking of heat, Jim couldn't help but notice how unbelievably hot it was inside Spock's tiny flat. He understood that Vulcans required higher temperatures for survival and even optimal comfort, but he didn't know that Spock preferred living in a hellhole. For some reason, being assaulted by this high of a temperature felt vaguely familiar to him, and it wasn’t the summer California heat, about which he was thinking. 

"I don't remember the last time I was in such a heated flat," he confessed, pulling at his collar. 

"I apologise," Spock said, appearing from the living room in grey Vulcan robes. "Computer, lower temperatures by twenty percent." 

Immediately, Jim heard the whir of the air conditioner. It sounded oddly familiar, and Jim was once again assaulted with a strange sense of déjà vu. He didn't know what to make of it, really. For some reason, it was more than just a sense of similarity that he was getting from the sound, like he should have been. Many air conditioners made detectable noises once being turned on. Eventually, Jim decided that he had probably just heard it at someone else's flat. 

"Do you care for refreshments?" Spock asked, still waiting patiently for Jim to gather himself and shake off his crazy paranoia. 

"Yeah sure," Jim agreed, finally removing his shoes and stepping out of the walkway and into the centre room. Spock placed several bowls of fruit as vegetables on the dining table. 

Soon enough, they were engaged in a heated conversation on the nature of temporal anomalies, which was interrupted only by chewing and crunching. At one point, Jim and Spock both reached for a cucumber simultaneously, being too caught up in the discussion to notice. Their fingers brushed briefly, and Jim almost recoiled from the shock the contact left behind. It wasn't electrons leaving his body: it felt like something caused by Spock's touch telepathy, which Jim knew Vulcans possessed. Jim couldn't help but feel a twinge of arousal, along with heaps of embarrassment. Looking at Spock's ruffled look, Jim quickly moved away. 

"I'd love to play a game of chess right now," he said, sprawling back in his chair and trying to shoo the awkward away. "You play chess, Spock?" 

"Indeed," Spock responded, raising a challenging eyebrow. "Are you proficient?" 

"Well, I received the grandmaster title in high school," Jim bragged. "But I expect you did, too." 

"Affirmative," Spock answered, getting up from his chair, presumably to get the chess set. Jim eyed the three dimensional chess set, which sat at the top of Spock's shelf of books and Vulcan artefacts, taking a double take in alarm. How had he known that it was there? _Had_ he known that it was there? He hadn't lied his eyes on it even once since coming inside. 

Warily, he watched Spock, who set up the board and pieces at the corner of the coffee table, which stood in front of a sofa and an armchair. Spock sat in the armchair, inviting Jim to sit across from him on the sofa. Jim sat, pushing his strange thought for his mind for the duration of the game. 

It was a good match. Spock won, to Jim's dismay, but he hadn't been that far behind with his pieces count. Jim obviously provided him with a challenge. On the second round, however, Jim couldn't help but glance around the flat again and again, feeling choked by the overwhelming sense of familiarity and déjà vu, for which he had absolutely no explanation. 

"You appear distracted, Jim," Spock commented, pulling Jim out of an internal panic, after Jim hadn't made a move. "You are not playing up to the par, which was set by your first match. What is the problem?" 

"Um, you'll think I'm crazy," Jim confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Nevertheless, I ask that you share it with me," Spock said calmingly. 

"I just have this feeling that I've been here before," Jim said quickly. "In your flat. I'm having an extreme case of déjà vu, and I'm starting to wonder whether it's actually déjà vu, or me having been here before." 

Spock stared at Jim for several long moments, like the latter had grown a second head. Probably, because he thought Jim had gone insane. Eventually, however, Spock nodded slowly, considering it. 

"You think that you have been here before?" Spock asked carefully. 

"I don't know what to think, Spock!" Jim exclaimed, trying not to work himself into an anxiety attack. "I'm having some kinds of hallucinations or something. Buffy looks kinda familiar to me. The heat here feels familiar, even though I've never been over at a Vulcan's before. There are automatic air conditioners in humans' homes. The _whirring_ of the air conditioner _sounds_ familiar. Eating vegetables at this dining table next to you in your robe looks familiar to me, for some reason. I knew that the chess set was on your shelf before you even walked in that direction, and I know that there's a Vulcan figuring behind your window curtains!" 

Spock stood slowly, walking towards his window. He removed the curtain, and Jim could see the small figure that was placed there. He threw his hands up in exasperation, falling back into a lying position on the couch, throwing his arm over his eyes in distress. 

"How could I have been here before?" he muttered. "I only just met you today!" 

"That is not necessarily true," Spock pointed out. "It is possible that we have met under... different... circumstances." 

"Like what?" Jim asked, his voice sounding particularly whining even to him. 

"Circumstances, under which two people are inebriated to prevent retaining their memories of a night full of sexual activity," Spock said, sounding extremely reluctant. 

"A one night stand?" Jim muttered to himself, frowned, and immediately sat up on the sofa. "Spock, are you implying that you do one night-" 

He was cut off, however, by a pair of soft lips meeting his. Spock's, undoubtedly. Jim was momentarily confused, but he responded soon enough, clutching his hands in the front of Spock's robes. It immediately progressed into a heated kiss, full of passion, tongue, and the occasional clash of teeth. By the time Spock nibbled Jim's bottom lip, he was about to lose his marbles. He reluctantly forced himself to pull away, leaning his forehead against Spock's with a giddy smile. 

"Any feelings of familiarity?" Spock asked quietly. 

"No, it's new," Jim said, sneaking a kiss, this one shorter and sweeter than the last. "But good! A good new. I think I would have remembered sleeping with you, Spock, judging by the kiss." 

"Indeed," Spock said, obviously a fighting the small smile, which had appeared on his lips. Jim kissed it away. 

"So, do you really go on one night stands?" Jim asked eventually, after they had both ended up lying down on the sofa. 

"Negative," Spock responded. "I was simply searching for an excuse to kiss you." 

"Spock, you sly fox!" Jim exclaimed through bouts of laughter, hitting his shoulder weakly. "You couldn't resist?" 

"Indeed, I could not," Spock said, suddenly serious. "Jim, if I may inquire something?" 

"What?" 

"If you allow me to meld with you and enter your mind with your guidance, it might be possible to discern the cause of your sense of déjà vu," Spock explained. 

"'Kay," Jim agreed softly, trying not to shy away from the intimacy of Spock's touch. He placed his fingers in a particular configuration on the side of Jim's face gently, reaching his temples. 

"My mind to your mind," he whispered. "My thoughts to your thoughts.” 

_Jim is floating somewhere. He doesn't know where. His mind, maybe? He can feel Spock near him. His physical being isn't there, but his mental one is. Spock's a cool blue colour, but it's nice. Jim likes it._

Spock? _he asks. Thinks._

Jim, you must let me into your mind, _Spock tells him._ Simply will it to occur, and it will happen thus. 

Um, okay, _Jim thinks, before picturing opening a gate to let Spock through. Suddenly, they're observing some of Jim's latest memories in backwards order from above. Kissing Spock, walking home with him, seeing him walk down the steps towards him, Bones, and Gaila that morning. In slow motion, at that._

That's embarrassing, _he comments._

But flattering, _Spock thinks, kind of smugly._ I admit that your first impression on me was quite similar. 

_They fly back a few more memories, and suddenly, they're replaying Jim's distress, as he runs around, looking for someone's notes to read. Jim's about to say that he can't remember anything from them, since he soon got carried away with studying over someone's shoulder, when he notices the man, whose notes he read. The same bowl cut. The same frame. The same flat, later that day. Jim was just too busy to consciously think about it._

"It was you!" he exclaimed, falling out of the meld. He rubbed hands over his face in disbelief. "I can't believe I didn't even recognise you today." 

"I am embarrassed to admit that I was too distracted to recognise the difference between you and Nyota," Spock said, looking slightly confused. "I have not seen her today. I hope she found other study material, after awaking alone on the bus." 

"I'm sorry that I leeched off of your notes without permission," Jim said sheepishly. "They're the only thing that made me pull everything off today during the exam, basically." 

"From our conversations today, I may confidently say that your level of knowledge in the tested area far supersedes the amount of material in my notes," Spock said in a low, sultry tone. "Your intelligence is extremely appealing to me." 

"As yours is to me," Jim said, pulling Spock closer to him. "I'm glad it was you, Spock. If it weren't, who knows if we would have gotten around to the actual kissing part?" 

"Who knows, indeed," Spock confirmed, kissing Jim soundly once more.


End file.
